womans club wedding

Womans Club of Portsmouth Outdoor Wedding | Heather + Barak

Womans Club of Portsmouth Outdoor Wedding | Heather + Barak

It often feels like the time between getting engaged and having the wedding lasts a lifetime, but for Barak and Heather, this was more true than anyone I’ve known! Their wedding was scheduled for spring 2020…and we all know approximately how the story went from there. Wanting to take all safety precautions, they live-streamed an outdoor elopement in April instead, planning on a large celebration in July.

It soon became heart-breakingly obvious that they would have to reschedule, again. After waiting and praying about making the right decision at the right time, they decided to pare down the guest list and plan on a safe, small, outdoor wedding a year after they originally planned to celebrate. When their wedding-turned-anniversary-celebration finally happened on Friday, their were too many tears of joy to count…

Top 10 Best Wedding Venues in Hampton Roads | Business

Top 10 Best Wedding Venues in Hampton Roads | Business

I’m thankful to have the privilege to travel up and down the East Coast for weddings, but I’m also proud to say that I photograph a lot of weddings right here in the Hampton Roads area. I moved here five years ago but I did not truly get to know my surroundings until I became a wedding and family photographer. Driving all over our little area for engagement sessions, family sessions, and weddings has made me fall in love with the 757.

It’s difficult to choose my few favorite wedding venues for a blog post, and I know there are so many places I get to shoot this year that I am sure this list will grow over time! That said, here are the ten best wedding venues in Hampton Roads that I have visited so far - with one honorable mention!

Woman's Club of Portsmouth Wedding | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographer | Brad + Jessica

Woman's Club of Portsmouth Wedding | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographer | Brad + Jessica

When I photographed their engagement session last May, Brad told me that he just knew it would be 64 degrees at their wedding in February. Jessica and I laughed at him - there was just no way that was going to happen! But sure enough, this winter wedding fell on one of the warmest days of the year, and I happily admitted that I had been wrong to doubt!

Brad and Jessica have set all kinds of records - the day before their wedding they celebrated their 13 year anniversary. They have been together since high school through college, jobs, military deployments, and all that can happen in life over so many years. Watching these two was like seeing two seasoned professionals, with only a ceremony standing in between them and their forever...